Inflammation: What is it and how can I avoid it?

When is comes to defining inflammation, there are two forms: acute and chronic. With acute think back to a time when you had a cut and that cut became infected. The site of the cut then becomes red and swollen, this is inflammation at work in its most basic form.

Chronic inflammation, occurs when the symptom (inflammation) continues for too long. The symptom can then become the problem.

The causes of chronic inflammation vary from person to person however some general causes can be being overweight, digestive issues, poor diet, hormonal imbalance and sedentary lifestyle choices.

The end result is that acute inflammation (as long as one takes the time to rest and recover) is actually good for you, in the case of exercise, whereas chronic inflammation makes you feel lousy and stops certain areas of the body from functioning.

Most chronic inflammation can be controlled through our lifestyle choices. Through choosing anti-inflammatory foods like bone broth, fermented foods and avoiding pro-inflammatory foods including sugar, artificial chemicals and gluten. Leading an active lifestyle and getting regular massages are also key. A 45-minute massage can lower your levels of pro-inflammatory cytokins. So according to Dr. Kellyann Petrucci, M.S., N.D., “don’t think of a massage as a guilty pleasure—think of it as therapy”.

So we at Massage For Health want you to be your best, so please enjoy this anti-inflammatory bone broth for a better you. Call Massage For Health today at 403.225.0763 and book your “therapy” massage today.

BONE BROTH - this can be taken as a suppliment to your morning routine, 1/4 cup daily. Or you can use this as a base to all soups and/or other recipes that call for any kind of stock.

Ingredients

3-4 pounds beef marrow and knuckle bones (see your local butcher)

2 pounds meaty bones such as short ribs

½ cup raw apple cider vinegar

4 quarts filtered water

3 celery stalks, halved

3 carrots, halved

3 onions, quartered

Handful of fresh parsley

Sea Salt

Directions:

Place bones in a pot or a crockpot, add apple cider vinegar and water, and let the mixture sit for 1 hour so the vinegar can leach the mineral out of the bones.

Add more water if needed to cover the bones.

Add the vegetables bring to a boil and skim the scum from the top and discard.

Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 24-72 hours (if you're not comfortable leaving the pot to simmer overnight, turn off the heat and let it sit overnight, then turn it back on and let simmer all day the next day)

During the last 10 minutes of cooking, throw in a handful of fresh parsley for added flavor and minerals.

Let the broth cool and strain it, making sure all marrow is knocked out of the marrow bones and into the broth.

Add sea salt to taste and drink the broth as is or store in fridge up to 5 to 7 days or freezer up to 6 months for use in soups or stews.